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Staying to protect your home when a bushfire is approaching could also save your life, say fire experts, but you must be well prepared both physically and emotionally before making this life and death decision.

Fire and land management agencies in south eastern Australia will be able to better plan for changes in the severity and timing of bushfire seasons following the release of new research on possible climate change impacts.

Wind change matters to fire managers. It can change bushfire activity in a moment, shifting the flank of the fire to the fire front, suddenly putting fire fighters and communities at risk. A change in wind can also change the rate of fire spread, increase the quantity, distance and direction of downstream spotting, and change the safety status of residents and townships in a flash.

For Justin Leonard, studying water tanks, fences, windows and timber decks is not an indiscriminate or arbitrary choice. It is all part of one methodical scientific investigation – one compelling narrative.

As bushfires burn throughout Australia virtually all year round, the role of the firefighter remains a difficult one. With an ever expanding rural-urban interface, firefighters are often involved in protecting property and apart from the intense heat and physical demands, firefighters may also be exposed to bushfire smoke that contains a cocktail of volatile compounds.

A James Cook University study investigating Sudanese refugees and their knowledge of fire safety has won a Safer Communities Award from Emergency Management Australia (EMA). “The Sudanese Refugees and Fire Hazard Study”, a collaboration between Bushfire CRC researchers at JCU and the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service, was conducted in Toowoomba, which is home to about 800 Sudanese refugees.

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After 11 years, we are about to enter the last month of your Bushfire CRC. It has been an incredible journey since 2003.

For me, what has stood out the most, notwithstanding the ground breaking research, is the culture change the industry has undertaken throughout this period. At the heart of this has been the close partnership between the Bushfire CRC and AFAC. The...

Fire Note 102 explains the importance of a knowledge management system for the development of bushfire communication products. It shows the potential benefits of such a system for fire agencies, and outlines how the creation of a knowledge management system supports the Effective Communication: Communities and Bushfire project and broader bushfire research.

As serious bushfires continue to burn around Australia, families in high-risk areas are giving a lot of thought to their bushfire survival plans. But what role should children play in the planning process?